


I'll Always Protect You

by Teelee23



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Tendou Satori, Gang AU, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mafia AU, Minor Character Death, Top Ushijima Wakatoshi, Torture, mafia, ushiten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:41:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29852022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teelee23/pseuds/Teelee23
Summary: Tendou owes Ushijima his life ever since he found him straddling a bridge railing in the middle of the night. He owes him his loyalty ever since he swore himself to the up and coming mafia boss. And he owes him his heart ever since he realized the boy with the olive eyes was the only person in the world who cared about him. But when Tendou is captured and taken into enemy territory, will his love and loyalty outweigh his life?
Relationships: Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 22
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Blessed is my beta reader because otherwise this would be awful. This my first fic so feel free to tear me up in the comments :')

“Where were you supposed to meet Ushijima to drop off the weapons?”

Silence.

The connection of a fist to Tendou’s stomach would have emptied its contents…if he hadn’t already emptied it a dozen or so hits ago. All he could do was dry heave as the pain in his abdomen exploded again. He groaned, head falling forward. His red hair hung around his face, plastered by sweat to his forehead and neck. He wished they had hit him in the face, maybe then he would have at least passed out again. They left him alone once he was unconscious. 

He wasn’t that lucky. 

It had been two days of this; an endless string of questions that went unanswered, followed by beatings to try to force an answer out of him. His shoulders ached from where they had him strung up, his hands tied and chained to the ceiling. The tips of his feet were barely able to find purchase on the cold concrete floor. Breathing hurt if he took too deep a breath; he was fairly certain multiple ribs were broken. His left eye was swollen to the point of nearly closing, the rest of his face numb from the beating they had given him yesterday.

_Was it yesterday?_

It felt like he’d been unconscious for at least a few hours but in this dark, windowless room, everything seemed to run together. 

_Maybe it was this morning._

“How have you found out the location of our last three shipments?” The voice growled. 

More silence. 

Tendou heard a frustrated grunt from somewhere to his left. He silently prayed the frustration meant he’d get bored and leave. 

_Unlikely._

Fingers gripped his hair hard enough to pull strands out. He tried to suppress a hiss at the sting. The hand in his hair didn’t yank or moved his head, just held him very still as he felt breathe near his ear. 

“Why protect him? Is he really worth all this pain?”

The hand pushed his head down as it let go, straining Tendou’s neck. 

Tendou raised his head, looking at the man before him. Cold, hard eyes started back at him, framed by sharp eyebrows that furrowed as he awaited a response. His dark t-shirt hid most of the stains that no doubt Tendou’s blood would leave when they were done. Tendou had recognized him on the first day when he’d walked in, asking the same questions he was now. 

_Iwaizumi Hajime, one of the inner circle members in the Oikawa gang._

Mouth set in a hard line, Iwaizumi let his shoulders relax a fraction of an inch when Tendou seemed to open his mouth to finally speak.

He did not open his mouth to speak.

When his spit landed just below Iwaizumi’s chin, Tendou’s signature grin broke out on his face despite the pain.

The next hit landed exactly where he wanted, and he sank into unconsciousness. 

\----

Tendou awoke on his back what felt like a few hours later. He had been let down from his suspension, but his shoulders still screamed, as did the rest of his body. His fingers gently prodded at his face to try to get a sense of the damage; some spots more tender than others, but all of it throbbed. His eye was now completely swollen shut. 

_I’m going to kill that fucker if I get the chance._

Tendou stared up at the concrete ceiling above him, mind still foggy with receding unconsciousness and pain, imagining what it would feel like to slit Iwaizumi’s throat and let blood pool at both their feet. 

He tried his best not to move, taking shallow breaths to not irritate his ribs. 

_Where were you supposed to meet Ushijima to exchange the weapons?_

Tendou groaned. 

It was supposed to be a routine pick-up. Him and his crew had gone to the edges of the Ushijima territory for a weapons deal with a new gang, someone they were considering an alliance with apparently. But when him and his six men had rolled up to the spot, they had been met with almost twenty Oikawa gang members waiting to ambush them. They had tried to shoot their way out of it, but it was useless. After the Oikawa grunts had finally captured them, all of his men had been shot in front of him. He thought he was going to get a bullet between his eyes too for his trouble, but they had other plans for him it seemed.

_How have you found the location for our last three shipments?_

Everyone moved weapons, dirty money, and drugs, those were the building blocks of the underworld they all lived in. But the Oikawa gang had been known to move more than that. The Oikawa gang was one of the seedier groups lurking the streets, dealing with things that crossed certain lines, even in the underground. 

People.

_Disgusting._

Children.

_Unforgivable._

When the first rumors had reached Tendou’s ears, he’d gone ballistic. Begged Ushijima to let him go after them, to let him slice them open with his knife. Pleaded with eyes that, to anyone else, might have looked crazed. 

To Ushijima they had looked incredibly pained. 

So, Ushijima had reluctantly agreed. The voice in the back of his head had told him it was a bad idea, that Tendou was too close to this to oversee such an operation. But Tendou was his right-hand man, and he trusted him. Plus, the rules had been broken. That required action.

And Tendou was a man of action if Ushijima needed him to be. 

So, for the last four months Tendou had stalked the Oikawa gang. He had monitored their movements, their habits. They got their shipments every month, that much he knew already. But they were sneaky about their timing and how they got the shipment into the city. 

Tendou had watched closely the first month, tailing members and tracking their movements. On the last week of the second month, he’d made a guess at where they’d be going. He gathered his men at the site he thought would be the drop-off point for the Oikawa gang, and lo and behold they had shown up. He and his men had been able to intercept a cargo container with almost 15 kids in it. 

They had all been under twelve years old. 

Tendou’s men had worked for him for more than five years at this point, and they thought they had known the limits to his blood thirst. Thought they had seen the extent of what he could do with a knife.

They had no idea. 

Once Tendou had had the children tended to and taken care of, he had ordered his crew to bring the dozen or so men they’d captured during the raid back to base. 

And then he’d ordered that no one interrupt him. 

Lest they risk their health. 

He’d spent the following hours inside a room not unlike the one he was in now, peeling skin from flesh and cutting flesh from bone. Torturing them while taunting them, laughing with tears in his eyes.

Tears from laughter. 

_Nothing else._

The following morning Ushijima had come to collect him. His men had been too frightened to cross the threshold of the room to retrieve him themselves.

Tendou sat in a puddle of blood that had soaked most of his clothes. His knife was off to the side, although other carving instruments littered the floor The concrete floor was stained red, not one patch untouched. Chunks of remains were everywhere, none of the people in the room even looked human, much less identifiable. 

Tendou didn’t even have to look to know it was Ushijima. 

_His men would never come near him like this._

__

__

_He was a monster._

When he turned to face him the tear tracks on his cheeks still looked fresh after all these hours. 

He had on a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. After a moment, when Ushijima didn’t smile or say anything back, the small smile fell from Tendou’s face. 

“I couldn’t stop myself,” He whispered quietly.

“I know.” Ushijima responded, just as quiet. 

Tendou looked away from Ushijima, at the carnage lain out before him. His eyes were unfocused, like he was a million miles away. Remembering something from a lifetime ago. 

Ushijima extended a hand to Tendou, pulling him up to his feet when he finally took it. Tendou still wasn’t looking at him, but Ushijima led him out of the blood-soaked room to a small bathroom down the hallway they had nearby for the exact purpose of cleanup. 

He gently undressed Tendou, peeling the now crusty clothes and ushered him under the warm spray of the shower head. Tendou stood for a moment, eyes still unfocused as the warm water began to relax his muscles. Memories swirled in his head. Memories that made him nauseous. Made him angry. Made him murderous. Made him want to curl in on himself. He sucked in a quick breath, hoping to stave off what he knew was coming. The lump in his throat was making it hard to breathe, hard to swallow, but he tried to force it down anyway.

_Don’t let it out._

Suddenly two warm arms encircled his waist from behind. He felt Ushijima gently press his forehead against the back of Tendou’s head. Their bodies pressed flush together.

_Fuck._

Tendou quickly spun around in Ushijima’s arms, burying his face in the other’s neck and wrapping his long arms around him. Sobs shook his body, his wails echoing off the tile bathroom walls. Ushijima’s hand rubbed Tendou’s back, trying to soothe the pain. 

“I’ll kill them all,” Tendou sobbed.

“I know,” Ushijima whispered into his hair. 

After that incident, Satori had gotten very good at guessing the Oikawa gang’s shipping plans. Some of it was based on rumors and the intel they had on which locations the gang frequented, but most of it was just good old intuition on Tendou’s part. And the promise of being able to spill blood after a correct guess was too big of a prize to not have Tendou on his A-game. Ushijima still allowed him to have his way torturing the men they captured after the raids, although he did make sure to intervene before Tendou spiraled. It was stuff like this that had gotten Tendou his nickname in the gang.

_Guess Monster._

It was part of what made him so useful to Ushijima. With an almost inhuman sense of intuition and unmatched bloodlust, he had become one of the most feared members of the gang. That, and his unwavering loyalty to Ushijima, made him the ultimate weapon. And Ushijima relied on him for a whole assortment of tasks. 

Which is why he’d also had to go on the weapons pickup in the middle of the Oikawa operation. 

Ushijima had wanted him to feel the other gang out, see if they were trustworthy for the alliance. It wasn’t supposed to be anything complicated, just grab the guns and go, spending just enough time getting a quick read on the guys to see what he thought. Tendou had an uncanny ability to get under people’s skins, to really unnerve them in a way that left them frazzled. And when people were frazzled, they made mistakes. But he didn’t even get the chance to frazzle them. 

_Bastards, I’ll kill them all too, when I’m done with the Oikawa gang._

Tendou grit his teeth and felt his head begin to ache and throb all over again. 

_The great Ushijima gang’s Guess Monster, reduced to a bleeding heap on the floor._

Tendou wished they had at least left his shirt so he could place it under his head, but he was left in just the black slacks he had been wearing days ago. His chest and back were covered in bruises of varying color, scars underneath barely visible with the different levels of discoloration. He knew they would start escalating their methods soon. They had only dragged it out because he was an upper-level member of the Ushijima gang and they’d probably thought he’d crack earlier than this. 

That he wouldn’t be used to the pain. 

_Not quite._

Tendou smirked, then stopped when his face throbbed. 

He sighed, thoughts turning to Ushijima. He would be mad about this, no doubt. Mad the deal had fallen through, mad they weren’t going to be getting the weapons, mad his men had died, mad Tendou was taken…

_I’m sorry, Wakatoshi._

He could picture it now, the hard set of Ushijima’s mouth, his brows furrowed with his arms crossed over his broad chest. To anyone else, he would look terrifying, all sharp angles and threatening aura. But Tendou knew better. The tension in his shoulders, the slight crinkle of his eyes, they would betray his worry. 

His concern. 

Tendou’s exhausted body started to sag against the concrete, demanding more rest even though he had just woken up. He began to drift back into unconsciousness, thinking of that mouth set in a hard line quirking up just in the corners for a secret smile, just for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again blessed is the beta goddess because I don't know how to use a comma to save my life. This one is gonna be a little sad folks so buckle up. Also, your comments physically fuel me so please leave a couple more of those so I can make it to the next chapter.

_Why protect him? Is he really worth all this pain?_

Fifteen-year-old Tendou sat on the railing, his legs kicking back and forth. He balanced himself with a hand on the lamppost that was integrated into the railing, all of it running along the side of the road in a continuous piece of iron across the bridge. 

He looked down into the dark running water below. 

The lamppost’s gentle glow didn’t reach all the way to the black water below, but Tendou could hear it anyway. That and the sound of his heart beating. The water below rushing fast and hard. At this hour there was almost no traffic, the city quiet. He might have thought the whole thing serene if he wasn’t so numb to it all.  
He stopped kicking his feet and leaned heavily over the railing, barely maintaining his center of gravity to keep him seated. 

_Just a little more._

“Hello,” 

Tendou jerked, and if he hadn’t had such a tight grip on the lamp post, he would’ve fallen.

He snapped his head over his shoulder to see where the voice had come from. A tall boy with broad shoulders looked back at him. His expression was one of open curiosity, his head tilted slightly, brown hair falling against his forehead. He had a long sleeve cotton shirt and plain jeans on, just enough to stave off the chill that seemed to be settling in tonight. 

In the glow of the lamppost light, Tendou could see his eyes were a rich green color.

“Hi,” He croaked, mouth and throat suddenly dry.

“What are you doing?” The boy asked. 

Tendou looked back over the edge of the railing he was sitting on, then back at the boy. 

“Just sitting here thinking, I guess,” He said. 

The boy seemed to ponder this, considering Tendou before he spoke. 

“Can I sit with you?” He asked.

Tendou’s eyebrows raised in surprise. It was obvious to anyone with any common sense that he was aiming to jump. _No one sits on the edge of the railing of a bridge to think._

“Why?” Tendou asked, swinging one leg over the railing, now straddling it, still careful to keep a grip on the lamppost. 

“Because I also have things to think about, but I wouldn’t mind company,” The boy said seriously. 

Tendou was stunned. He regarded the boy in front of him, then couldn’t stifle a laugh before it bubbled out of his throat. 

The boy tilted his head in confusion, but Tendou waved a hand until he stopped laughing. 

“Sure, but let’s sit on the curb. If you try to sit up here you might fall,” He said with a wink.

“I appreciate your concern for my safety,” 

Tendou stopped and looked at the boy again, trying to discern if he was being sarcastic or rude, but the boy seemed genuine. He shot the boy a small smile before plopping on the curb, kicking his long legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles. He patted the spot next to him. 

“So what’s on your mind, come and tell ol’ Tendou,” Tendou said, patting the boys back once he sat next to him, deciding that this distraction would at least be entertaining for a bit. It wasn’t like the fast-running water below them was going anywhere. 

The boy next to him looked thoughtful for a moment, eyes focused on the sky above them. 

“I came out for a walk to clear my head. My father and I had a disagreement.” He said finally.

“What was the disagreement about?” Tendou asked. 

The boy paused again. _Words don’t seem to be his strong suit._

“We have a family business. He is training me to take over for him eventually. I became frustrated with the amount of work he was putting me through and asked him why I would need to learn all of these things when they don’t always seem relevant to… the business,” He said. 

“Sounds to me like he just wants you to be prepared so you can do your best,” Tendou said honestly. 

The boy was quiet for a moment, reflecting upon Tendou’s words. Tendou studied him in the dim glow of the lamppost light, deciding that his green eyes were an olive shade. He had a strong jawline that the lamppost accentuated with shadows. 

_Beautiful._

_There are worse things to have to look at before throwing myself over that railing._

Tendou swallowed when the boy turned back to him, hoping he hadn’t been caught staring. 

“I think you are right. I perhaps became frustrated with the workload and wasn’t seeing his intention clearly.” He said seriously. 

“There you go!” Tendou said, flashing him a sharp grin. He gave the boy a pat on the back. “I hope you and your dad are able to work it out.” He said a little quieter, the grin no longer reaching his eyes. Tendou looked away, unconsciously pulling his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them.

“What about you?” 

Tendou’s head snapped back to the boy next to him. 

“What about me what?” He asked.

“What were you out here thinking about?” The boy asked simply. 

Tendou looked at the boy, the railing behind them in his peripherals. 

_Don’t drag him into your mess._

_He’s a good kid, he doesn’t need your nonsense bogging him down._

“Oh, not too much, just some stuff at home, I guess,” He muttered, running his hands up and down his shins.

“It must be something important though, to have you out this late.” The boy prompted. 

Tendou lifted his eyes from the gravel of the road to look at the boy next to him, again looking for any sign of hidden intentions, but only seeing genuine curiosity. 

_It couldn’t hurt to tell him. Just a little._

“Home is…not great. My parents died when I was a baby, so I stay with my uncle who’s technically my legal guardian. But he’s a creep, and that’s putting it mildly. I came out here to,” Tendou paused, unsure if he wanted to unload all his baggage on this poor kid he’d just met. “To think about what I’m gonna do. Been thinking about running away from it all,” He said, figuring that sounded better than the truth. 

_Nowhere to run._

_He’d find me._

_Drag me back._

_Again._

_Because even though I’m worthless property._

_I’m HIS worthless property._

Tendou fought off a wave of nausea that bubbled in the back of his throat. He turned his head to try to get a handle on it, looking at the boy next to him for a distraction.

The boy was quiet again, looking intensely at Tendou. Tendou felt a slight blush forming on his cheeks under the other boy’s gaze. 

“Come home with me,” He said finally. 

“At least buy my dinner first,” Tendou retorted with a laugh. It quickly died on his lips when he realized the boy was serious. 

“You’re not kidding?” Tendou asked.

“Why would I be?” The boy asked, honestly curious. 

“You don’t even know me. I could be a killer for all you know!” Tendou practically shouted, the tail of his statement echoing around them in the quiet night. 

“Then you’ll fit in just fine,”

“I- what?” Tendou asked, confused.

“My family is the Ushijimas, the organized crime gang. If you really are a killer, we could use your skills, although I sense you aren’t serious.” The boy said, his face and  
tone completely serious. 

_What’s with this guy?_

“So, when you said family business…”

“A gang, yes. I am the next in line to take over.” 

Tendou sat quietly for minute, processing. Gangs weren’t uncommon in this area; it wasn’t the nicest part of the city. It was known for seedy and shady happenings, so it wouldn’t be all that uncommon for this boy to be involved in a gang at their age. But the Ushijimas were a big-name group, even Tendou had heard of them. 

“Your family is a bunch of killers?” He asked after a moment. 

The boy furrowed his brow, nodding. “We are involved in other things besides killings. We maintain an order to the underground, otherwise things would dissolve into chaos. We offer protection to people who need it, and rules to keep peace.”

Tendou swallowed. 

Protection.

“Maybe…” Tumbled out of Tendou’s mouth before he could help it, eyes wide with a hope he hadn’t in months. Years. 

_If there’s the smallest chance…_

_No, what if he comes after you, hurts this kid looking for you?_

Tendou shuddered at the thought of that. He couldn’t let his uncle near a kid like this. Tendou was damaged goods at this point, but this kid…

_Too beautiful to even risk the chance of his uncle getting his hands on him._

“I think I’ll be okay, really. I just need to sort somethings out- “ 

Suddenly one of the boy’s hands was gripping his arm, snapping his attention to him. 

“If you come with me, and swear to serve the family, I can protect you.” He said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. 

Tendou’s lip wobbled without his permission.

“Really?” He asked, voice quiet and cracking.

“Yes,” Still no hint of doubt or wavering. “I’m not sure what you’re running from, but if you come with me, if you swear your loyalty to me, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Tendou didn’t realize he was crying until the boy had reached up and wiped his face with his sleeve. He wiped at the tears with the kind of focus you would use to maybe clean windows. Tendou smirked at the thought, pulling away to wipe the rest of the tears from his face. 

“I’m okay, sorry. Just…tonight I was gonna…but now you’re here, offering this,” Tendou made a small gesture with his hands, sniffling. 

“Yes, my answer is yes.” He said finally, looking into the boy’s eyes. 

He smiled a very gentle smile, much too gentle and soft looking for someone who was supposed to be in a gang, much less leading it. He stood up, holding a hand out for Tendou, who grabbed it and was pulled to his feet. 

The boy started walking and Tendou fell in line next to him, keeping pace. 

“My name is Tendou Satori, by the way,” He offered. 

“Ushijima Wakatoshi,” The boy responded.

“Well, Wakatoshi-kun, how lucky I must have been to run into you tonight,” He said with a grin. 

Ushijima, seemingly unfazed by Tendou using his given name, merely gave him another smile as they walked out of the dim glow of the lamppost, into the darkness of the night. 

\---

Tendou awoke to his body being strung up by Iwaizumi again. His head lolled from side to side, still disoriented. His body ached immensely and he felt so weak he might pass out again any minute. 

_Please let me pass out._

Iwaizumi looked at him before turning back to the table. It was littered with knives, pliers, bars and pipes, and some other things he couldn’t see while his captor stood in the way.

_Fuck, here we go._

_Pay back for what I did to those bodies._

Tendou took a deep breath, trying to steel himself. 

Iwaizumi turned back around, a small but very sharp looking knife in his hand. 

“Where were you supposed to meet Ushijima?”

“Where were you supposed to meet Ushijima,” Tendou parroted back, high pitched and echoing off the walls. 

A flash of light against the blade was the only warning he got as it was embedded in his thigh.

Tendou screamed. 

He tried to thrash; against the chains, against the pain, against the searing heat that was spreading through his leg. Trying to get away, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. His voice turned hoarse and broke finally, trailing off into ragged pants. 

“How did you know where our shipments were going to be?” 

Iwaizumi already had another knife, identical to the one in Tendou’s leg, in his hand.

Tendou panted, trying to prepare himself for what was coming.

This one landing in his shoulder, made all the worst by strain his shoulders were undergoing to hold him up. 

“This game is going to only get worse for you, my boss doesn’t wish to be kept waiting much longer.” Iwaizumi said, already picking up another two knives. 

“Fuck…off,” Tendou groaned, his leg and shoulder both on fire. 

Iwaizumi seemed to regard him for a moment, eyes narrowed as if deciding something. 

“He’s not coming for you, you know that right?”

Tendou sucked in a sharp breath. 

“I’m sure he’s already found another deranged psycho to take your place,” He said, the third knife twirling between his fingers. 

_What I wouldn’t give to have that knife in my hand_

“Aw, Iwaizumi-chan, you must know that no one is as deranged as me,” He forced a sharp grin on his aching face, eyes wide and crazed. “Not just anyone can do what I did to all those men. Did you enjoy the pieces of them I sent you?” He chuckled. 

In a flash, Iwaizumi had one of the knives in his hand plunged into Tendou’s side. The other pressed into his throat, just hard enough to sting. 

“Bastard,” He growled. 

Tendou smirked through gritted teeth.

“Ah, ah, ah, can’t kill me yet when your boss still needs me,” Tendou sing songed. The front he was putting on much more confident than he actually felt. His body was screaming, dizziness almost bringing him back to the edge of unconsciousness, and his vision swimming. 

The knife pressed just a little harder against his throat, a trickle of blood running down Tendou’s throat before it was pulled away. 

Before Tendou even had a chance to breath a sigh of relief, Iwaizumi’s fist came fast and hard, snapping his head to the size. Everything seemed like it was underwater for a moment, and Tendou almost thought he would pass out again. 

_Please._

But just before he sank beneath the surface, cold water was splashed against his face. At first, he didn’t think it would be enough to keep him awake. But then everything started to burn. 

Tendou screamed, all of his cuts and scraps suddenly aflame, the chains holding him rattled and clanked as he struggled. 

“Salt water,” Iwaizumi stated simply. “Just something to remember me by until our next session,” And with that he turned to leave, exiting the room with a slam of the door. 

_“I’ll kill you!”_ Tendou screamed, his whole body still on fire. 

He hung like that for what felt like hours, skin stinging and burning. Blood still dripped from his injuries, and his whole body aching in one continuous throb. Every time his heart beat he was aware of every knife that was still planted in his flesh. He counted his heartbeats until the exhaustion of his injuries finally let him slip into unconsciousness. 

\---

Tendou felt sweat collected on the back of his neck. 

“Sit down, Tendou,” Ushijima said, his voice firm. 

Tendou still remained standing, frozen. When Ushijima had brought him back to his home, he had waited in a foyer space while Ushijima had spoken with his father in the next room. Tendou had been nervous; his father’s sharp gaze seemed to burrow under his skin before he had stepped into the other room with Ushijima. 

_What if he says no?_

_What if he turns me away?_

Ushijima had said on the way back that Tendou only being fifteen might be a problem since they usually only accepted new members once they were eighteen.

_Wouldn’t that just be a bitch? To be given a glimmer of hope like this, only to have to go back to that railing on the bridge._

_I won’t go back to his house. Even after all this, death is better than being there._

The doors opened and Tendou felt his shoulders snap back, eyes wide as he awaited senior Ushijima’s verdict. 

But the old man said nothing, his sharp gaze sweeping over Tendou as he moved from one room to the next, leaving the boys alone. Tendou looked curiously after him before turning to Ushijima, apprehension apparent on his face. 

“He says you can stay.” Ushijima stated, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile. 

A grin practically split Tendou’s face and before he could stop himself, he had flung his arms around Ushijima’s neck, dragging the boy into a hug. 

“That’s great, Wakatoshi-kun! So, I get to be part of the gang?” He asked, pulling back to look at Ushijima, hands still on his shoulders. 

“Yes. There are some formalities to take care of, and you’ll have to swear loyalty to the family. Then we can begin your training.”

“Anything, I’m just excited to start.” Tendou said, practically vibrating. 

“There is one more thing,” Ushijima had said. 

Tendou paused, looking quizzically at his new friend. 

“Everyone gets the family symbol tattooed on themselves, it’s part of swearing your loyalty.”

“A tattoo? I’ve always wanted a tattoo!” Tendou practically shouted, somehow vibrating at an even higher frequency than he had been. 

Ushijima’s lips quirked up slightly at his friend’s enthusiasm. 

But now…

_For some reason, I hadn’t realized he’d be here for it._

“Tendou, if you’re having second thoughts…”

“NO!” Tendou shouted, startling both of them. 

“No, I just- … I didn’t realize you would be giving me the tattoo.” He said quietly, hands gripping the edge of his shirt. 

“It is every leader’s responsibility to give the tattoo to the person beneath them. Since you will be serving me, I will give you the tattoo. If you’re nervous that I won’t do a good job, I can assure you that I’ve done this before-“

“No, Wakatoshi, it isn’t that.” Tendou cut him off. 

Ushijima was silent, waiting for Tendou to continue.

He took a deep breath, shirt still gripped tightly in his hands. 

“Just…just be prepared.” He said, voice small. 

Before Ushijima could say anything Tendou had ripped his long sleeve shirt over his head and flung it to the floor, taking a seat in front of Ushijima. 

Ushijima’s eyes widened as he took in the sight in front of him. The pale skin of Tendou’s back was _littered_ with scars. Some were thin and numerous, while other larger scars were spread out over the planes of his muscles, the skin bumpy and uneven. Some were small and circular in shape. Whatever had caused all of them must have been painful, and from the way they seemed to overlap, it must’ve happened multiple times.

_Home is…not great._

Tendou chanced a glance over his shoulder, paling considerably when he saw the look on Ushijima’s face. His face was set in a hard glare, the focus of which was directed towards Tendou’s back.

_The scars._

_He’s disgusted._

Tendou’s breath started picking up, his heartbeat deafening. 

_Why wouldn’t he be revolted by you?_

_Who would want anything to do with you?_

_You’re WORTHLESS._

A hand gently pressed against the small of Tendou’s back, snapping him from his thoughts. 

Tendou forced an ugly laugh from his throat. 

“I know they’re really disgusting Wakatoshi-kun, so I understand if you don’t want to touch them to give me the tattoo anymore,” His voice coming out fast and high.

“Tendou,”

“I understand if you wouldn’t want someone like me working under you. I mean jeez this must absolutely make your skin crawl, right?” 

“Tendou,” 

Tendou moved to get up. 

“I can just go, I don’t want you to have to- “ 

“TENDOU!” 

The hand on his back moved to grip his waist and Tendou’s eyes snapped to Ushijima’s. 

“Sit. Down.” 

Tendou sank back into the chair. 

The silence stretched out between them, Tendou fiddling with his fingers to stave off his nerves. 

“Did your uncle do that to you?”

Tendou’s heart felt like it was in his throat. His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears. He turned his head just enough so Ushijima could see him nod solemnly. 

Ushijima pushed a hard breath of air through his nose. 

“I can fit the tattoo here,” Ushijima said, hand pressing against a spot on Tendou’s side below his ribs. “Will that be okay?”

Tendou nodded again, not trusting his voice. 

Ushijima began prepping everything for the tattoo, taking out the sterilized pieces, putting on gloves. He started the tattoo, only breaking the silence to ask Tendou if he was okay or if the pain was too much. Tendon merely nodded, still incapable of forming words. As the family symbol began to take shape, Tendou grit his way through it, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself. The symbol of the Ushijima gang was an eagle with a banner beneath it reading _Irresistible Force._

When everything was done, and the tattoo was treated and wrapped, Tendou finally grabbed his shirt off the floor, pulling it over his head. He felt ashamed and empty, like he had somehow let Ushijima down. He hung his head, ready to leave the room when Ushijima grabbed his arm. 

"Tendou,” Ushijima said, trying to get Tendou’s eyes to meet his own. But Tendou’s eyes stayed glued to the floor. 

“Tendou, look at me,” 

He dragged his eyes to meet the intense olive stare of the boy before him.

"I won’t ever let him harm you again.”

Tendou’s lip wobbled, eyes prickling with tears. 

“I’m sorry that you had to go through whatever resulted in those scars, but I promise that from this moment on, you won’t have to worry or fear him anymore. I’ll always protect you.” Ushijima’s conviction struck Tendou to his core. 

_I’ll always protect you._

Tendou nodded as tears spilled down his cheeks.

"You’re not disgusted by them?” He mumbled.

“No. You must be incredibly strong to have gone through whatever resulted in those scars, Tendou.” Ushijima stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Tendou’s stomach flipped at the praise.

_He’s not disgusted._

_You must be incredibly strong._

A fresh wave of tears spilled down his face and he tried to wipe them from his face. 

“Thanks, Wakatoshi-kun.” He said, voice cracking.

Ushijima nodded, turning to leave. He stopped at the door, motioning with this head for Tendou to follow him. Wiping the last traces of tears from his face, Tendou tried to will the red splotchiness away from his cheeks, taking a few deep breathes to center himself.

Ushijima led him to his own room, the room next to it being Tendou’s, separated only by a jack and jill bathroom. They seemed to be in their own wing of the house judging by how far they had walked to get here, but Tendou was thankful for the privacy. He wasn’t sure what’d he’d do if he wandered into Ushijima senior by himself.

“You can borrow these until we get you something else,” Ushijima said, handing Tendou some clothes to sleep in. 

“Thanks,” He said. 

He paused for a moment, clothes in hand, about to turn and walk through the bathroom to his own room. 

“Wakatoshi-kun?” He said, his eyes set on the clothes in hand. 

“Hmm?” Ushijima had already turned to rummage for his own clothes to wear to bed. 

“Thank you, I mean for all of this,” Tendou said quietly before turning to go into his own room for the night. He changed into the comfy clothes and crawled into bed. 

When his body settled, he realized how exhausted he truly was, and sleep came quickly. 

_Hands._

_Hands everywhere, all over his body. He tried to cry out but when he opened his mouth no sound came out. His voice was trapped in his throat and it felt like a hundred hands gripped and grabbed and pulled on him._

_Stop, please stop, he tried to plead but still he couldn’t find his voice._

_“Come on, Satori, don’t you like the way this feels?” The voice of his uncle reached his ears and he finally found his voice as he screamed._

“Tendou! Tendou! Wake up!”

More hands, on his shoulders now, shaking him. He bolted upright immediately, his head cracking into something solid, snapping him back into the bed. 

He groaned, hands flying to his forehead which now felt like it was splitting open. When he opened his eyes, he realized Ushijima was above him, also holding his own forehead. 

“You were yelling in your sleep,” He grunted.

Tendou panted, trying to get his breathing under control. He realized he was covered in a layer of sweat, and his heart was racing. 

“Sorry…I-I’m sorry,” He muttered, looking up at Ushijima with wide eyes. 

“Were you having a nightmare?” Ushijima asked, rubbing his forehead before his hands fell away from his face. 

He nodded, breathing still coming out in pants. 

The silence stretched on as Tendou finally seemed to get his breathing under control.

“I’m going to go back to my room now,” Ushijima made a move to turn and leave but Tendou’s hand snapped out from under the covers, gripping Ushijima’s wrist like a vice. 

“Can…can you stay?” He asked, voice quiet. 

Ushijima looked at him for a moment before nodding. 

Tendou released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He let go of Ushijima’s wrist and flipped the blankets back, moving over to give Ushijima room to slide in. For a moment they just laid in bed together, and Tendou thought Ushijima had gone right back to sleep. 

“Do you wish to talk about the nightmare?” Ushijima’s voice suddenly cut through the silence. 

Tendou hesitated. 

_He’ll think you’re disgusting._

_If he didn’t think so about the scars, he will about this._

_But he said he’d protect me…_

“It…it was about my uncle,” He said, voice still very quiet in the darkness. 

Ushijima was quiet, waiting for Tendou to elaborate.

“The scars on my back…they’re not even the worst part,” Tendou’s throat felt like it was closing, a lump forming that made it impossible to breathe.

Ushijima tensed next to him. 

“He used to…do stuff to me. That’s what the nightmare was about. His hands…touching me.” Tendou’s voice sounded so small even to his own ears. 

Tendou felt the bed shift as Ushijima rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow to look down at him. In the dark room Tendou could just make out the outline of his face and a reflection of light in his eyes. Ushijima just continued to stare, and under the intensity of his gaze Tendou started to fidget. 

“I hate him so much.” Tendou said, voice cracking. Tears ran down his cheeks into his pillow. He cried quietly until he felt a hand on his shoulder pulling him into an embrace. Tendou buried his face in Ushijima’s neck, sobbing harder and louder now. 

Ushijima said nothing, just wrapped his arms tightly around the crying boy in his arms. This boy who had had such terrible things happen to him, yet still managed to smile. Who hadn’t hesitated to help Ushijima with his problems tonight, to push his problems to the side. Who hadn’t hesitated to place his trust in him and give him his loyalty. 

Ushijima held him just a little tighter, resolving to protect the boy crying in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, all hail my beta, praise be her understanding of all things grammatical.  
> This chapter is also sad so keep that seatbelt buckled I guess. It's also heavy on the violence and we have a minor character death so beware.  
> And like usual, if you could spare some serotonin in the form of a comment/kudos, I'd love that.

Tendou groaned when he was awoken by the sound of his door opening. Iwazumi walked in, a tray in his hand. He dropped it near Tendou, along with a bottle of water before turning on his heel and exiting the room. 

Tendou turned his head to see some bread and meat siting on the tray. He propped himself up on his elbows, head swimming when he did. Looking down at his body, he realized they must have taken him down from the chains after he passed out. They’d chained him by his feet to the wall instead. He also noticed that his wounds had been treated and wrapped. 

_Can’t have me dying this early in the game, that wouldn’t be any fun._

Tendou dragged himself into a sitting position, pulling the tray and water near him. He hadn’t realized it until now, but his body was extremely dehydrated and fatigued. Figuring that it’d be pointless to poison him, Tendou ate the food and downed the water in record time. When he was finished, he pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on top. 

_I miss you, Wakatoshi._

Tears spilled down his cheeks, and he curled one of his arms around his midsection, the palm of which rested against his tattoo. He knew that Ushijima would want to rescue him, but it would be hard to scale a full assault against the Oikawa gang. And to do it all for Tendou’s sake would be a huge waste of resources. He was just one person, and the Ushijima gang would lose dozens of men trying to get him back. Ushijima would have to do what was best for the gang. 

_I’m going to die here._

Tendou wiped the tears from his eyes, steeling himself against his fate. 

_It had always been borrowed time anyway, ever since that night on the bridge._

A small smile slipped onto Tendou’s face as he reminisced of that night. Here he was, almost a decade later, and yeah, he had done some terrible, awful things in his servitude to Ushijima, but he didn’t have any regrets. He’d do it all a hundred times over if Ushijima asked him to. 

_I’d do anything he asked. Not just because I love him, but because I owe him that and more._

_My only regret is I wish I’d gotten a chance to say goodbye._

Tendou felt his body pulling him into exhaustion again, and as much as he wanted to resist, he couldn’t fight it off as it dragged him under. 

\------

After the tattoo was healed, Tendou began a regimen of sorts with Ushijima. Ushijima senior had decided that Tendou, still being only fifteen, would study and train alongside his son until he was old enough to take part in more mature parts of gang activity. 

Ushijima was home schooled with the best teachers and tutors money could buy, and now so was Tendou. He’d never been very studious. Hadn’t seen the point nor had the motivation. Not to say he wasn’t bright. He had an exceptional ability to recognize patterns and draw intuitive conclusions, but there were gaps in certain parts of his knowledge that made some subjects trickier than others. Yet he did his best to keep up with Ushijima and not disappoint him. He would ask Ushijima to review material with him, and he was always patient and calm in his explanations. He never raised his voice or yelled at Tendou for not understanding or struggling, just continued to walk him through the material until he figured it out. 

But just because he was trying to apply himself didn’t mean he wouldn’t spare a moment or two during studying to pass Ushijima notes when the instructor’s back was turned. Usually, the notes contained funny doodles or comments that he thought of and wanted to share with Ushijima. He would watch Ushijima’s reaction from the corner of his eye, mindful that the tutor could turn around at any minute. Ushijima’s reactions were always subdued; sometimes his lips would quirk up at the corners, sometimes he didn’t react at all. But he always would carefully refold the note back up and slip it into his pocket. 

After study hours, Ushijima and Tendou would go through physical training. They learned how to assemble and load various weapons, worked on martial arts, fighting techniques, and practiced knife work. It quickly surfaced that Tendou had an affinity for the knife work. He liked the feel of a knife in his hand, liked the security it gave him. Soon he carried one with him everywhere, sometimes tossing it in his hand while he walked or fiddling with it between his fingers under his desk during their schooling hours. 

Ushijima never called him weird for carrying the knife around, even though Tendou knew it was a strange habit. He quickly learned that Ushijima was quiet most of the time, but that didn’t bother him. Tendou filled the silence happily, talking about anything and everything, and Ushijima would offer occasional comments or questions as he rambled. 

When their long days were finished, Tendou and Ushijima would retire to their own wing of the large Ushijima home. Their rooms were still next to each other, and the shared bathroom that made it easy for them to hang out in each other’s rooms. Tendou would lounge across Ushijima’s bed while Ushijima would sit at his desk, both of them working through any homework they had together. 

Tendou hummed a random tune, working through their math homework. 

“Ushijima, what did you get for number fifteen?” Tendou asked, scratching his head with his pencil.

“X is equal to 24,” Ushijima said, not even turning his head. 

“Hmm,” Tendou looked at the very long decimal answer he had written down. 

He groaned, tossing his face to the side into one of Ushijima’s pillows.

_Smells like him. Like a warm summer day in the woods._

Tendou snapped his head up, cheeks red, eyes darting to Ushijima, who still wasn’t looking at him. 

_He’s your best friend, don’t be weird._

Tendou buried his face in his hands, trying to squish the weird feeling that fluttered in his chest.

“Tendou?”

“Hmm?” His eyes snapped up to Ushijima, who had turned in his chair to look at him.

“Did you not get the correct answer?” 

“Uh-um, no I d-didn’t” He stuttered, still feeling flustered.

“Here, let me see,” Ushijima moved before Tendou could say no, sitting beside him on the bed. Because Tendou was laying on his stomach at a diagonal, Ushijima sat on the edge of the bed but placed a hand over Tendou’s shoulder, leaning over him to get a view of Tendou’s work.

 _So close._

Tendou’s face burned, and he tried to keep it tilted down so Ushijima couldn’t see. 

“Here,” Ushijima grabbed the pencil from Tendou’s hand. His fingers brushed Tendou’s and they felt calloused but warm. “This was supposed to be divided by 2 not 3, that must be what caused your error,” Ushijima said, erasing Tendou’s work and replacing it with the correct number. 

“Thanks, Waka-kun,” Tendou said, voice strained. 

Ushijima made an affirmative noise before going back over to his desk. 

Tendou spent the rest of the evening barely able to focus, his hand warm and tingling the whole time. 

When he had finally left Ushijima’s room that night and returned to his own, he laid awake long into the night, thinking of what it would feel like to hold his friend’s hand in his. 

\------

Tendou awoke to icy water being dumped on his face. He flinched hard and tried to sit up, immediately regretting his decision when pain flared throughout his body. A groan forced its way through gritted teeth, just keeping himself from the edge of screaming. 

When he got his bearings, Tendou realized there were two people in the room with him now. Iwaizumi stood above him, bucket in hand. Behind him, leaning against the only table in the room, was the same face Tendou had dreamt of slicing into ribbons for the last four months. 

_Oikawa Tooru._

Tendou made a lunge for him on impulse, his body crying in protest before the chain tightened up, reminding him how stuck and vulnerable he was. 

Oikawa made a tsk sound before a sly grin slipped on his face. 

“Really Iwaizumi, he seems to have quite a bit of kick left in him. Are you sure you’ve been doing anything these past few days?” He asked.

Iwaizumi grunted, turning to toss the bucket in the corner of the room where it clattered. 

Oikawa bent down until he was sitting on his heels, balanced on the balls of his feet, eye level with Tendou but still well outside of his reach. 

“So this is the great Ushijima gang’s Guess Monster, huh?” He cocked his head to the side. “Thought you’d be scarier,”

“Come a little closer and I’ll show you how scary I can be,” Tendou said, licking his teeth.

The smirk fell from Oikawa’s face, and he stood up quickly. He turned on his heel as if to leave, but he shifted his weight at the last minute. His other leg came out of nowhere, connecting with the side of Tendou’s head, sending it downwards towards the concrete floor. His forehead bounced off the concrete. His vision swam and he was sure the kick had split his lip again. His tongue ran around his mouth.

_At least he didn’t knock any teeth out._

“Listen, _Monster_ ,” Oikawa said as he walked away from Tendou, turning to lean against the table. “We have something of yours, and if you tell us what we want to know, maybe we won’t break it,” 

Tendou’s stomach dropped instantly.

_No, there’s no way they’d keep you alive if they had him. Something else. Someone else._

Tendou remained silent, eyes trying to bore holes in Oikawa’s face. Oikawa looked over his shoulder at Iwaizumi who opened the door, stepping out for a moment before dragging someone in with them and tossing them to the side of Oikawa. They were bound and gagged by the sound of the muffled crying…

_Oh no._

_Not the crybaby, please._

Oikawa grabbed a fistful of black hair, but Tendou knew it was Goshiki before he even saw his face. The young gang member’s face was stained with tears, a couple mild bruises on his face indicating they must’ve caught him recently and roughed him a bit before bringing him here.

“Goshiki,” He said sadly, the pit in his stomach already growing. 

Oikawa ripped the gag out of his mouth. 

“Tendou-senpai! Are you okay? Everyone’s been looking for you, Ushijima is worried- “ 

Oikawa delivered another devastating kick, this one right to the abdomen of the younger gang member. Goshiki doubled over, immediately dry heaving, gasping for breath. 

“That’s great kiddo, but here’s how its going to go,” Oikawa said, a dangerous glint in his eye. “We’ve decided that torturing this clown faced fuck isn’t worth the trouble. But I heard a rumor that he has a soft spot for kids.” Oikawa’s grin was razor sharp. 

And Goshiki practically was a kid. He was twenty-two, only a few years younger than Tendou and Ushijima, but his baby face and childlike tendency to cry when frustrated made him seem much younger. He was loyal to a fault, though, and Tendou and Ushijima both doted on him, grooming him to take more responsibility in the gang as he got older. He had been clamoring to join the Ushijima gang since he was kid. He had been in awe of them since they had saved his family from the extortion of a rival gang who had been threatening to kill his parents if they weren’t paid. Ushijima had stepped in and offered his protection, scaring the other gang off. Ever since then, Goshiki had looked at Ushijima like he hung the moon and stars. 

_It was hard for anyone to not to look at him like that, though._

“Now you’re going to tell us about Ushijima’s location and how you’ve been figuring out our shipment pickup spots, or I’m gonna kill this kid slowly and painfully in front of you.” Oikawa said, delivering another kick to Goshiki’s side. 

“Leave him alone,” Tendou yelled, pulling against his chains. 

“Ah, ah, ah, that’s not how the game works,” Oikawa nodded to Iwazumi, who came over and started hoisting Goshiki so he was chained to the ceiling. The boy was breathing raggedly, he’d never had to endure something like this. Ushijima had kept him mostly to security detail gigs for low level goods, which kept him relatively out of harm’s way. 

_He won’t last long._

“Where was Ushijima supposed to be, Monster?” 

Tendou looked at Goshiki, eyes wet with tears already. He weighed the options in his head. Oikawa must know that they had planned on moving the weapons to one of their storage warehouses. Telling would compromise its location, which would let them attempt to raid it. Plus, there was a lot of inventory in that particular location. But if they were really smart and Tendou gave them the location, they could lie in wait and try to ambush more of the Ushijima gang. If they waited long enough, they might get lucky and catch Ushijima, who would occasionally visit the warehouses for assessment. But the risk was low, especially if Ushijima was on high alert. He might have even emptied the warehouse already, just to be safe. Maybe he could tell them…

“You’re taking too long,” Oikawa said flatly before walking over to Goshiki and cutting a slit up the front of his shirt with a knife. He then tossed the knife up, catching it in a different grip midair and driving it into the shoulder muscle near Goshiki’s neck. 

Goshiki screamed, thrashing wildly against the pain.

“NO!” Tendou pulled against his chain.

“The location,” Oikawa said, prompting him. 

“Tendou-senpai, I’m fine, don’t tell them!” Goshiki cried, his face covered in tears and breathing irregular. He was trying to put on a brave face, but it wasn’t working. 

He just looked like a scared kid, way in over his head. 

“Tendou-senpai,” Oikawa mocked. “Tell me the location or you’re gonna watch your friend bleed out on the floor.” The dangerous glint in his eyes telling Tendou he wasn’t bluffing. 

He looked pitifully at Goshiki, his heart aching. 

_I can’t betray Ushijima._

_Not even for Goshiki._

Tendou pressed his lips together firmly, refusing to answer. 

Oikawa sneered, driving another knife into Goshiki’s opposite shoulder. His screams continued to bounce off the walls, making Tendou’s skin crawl. He hung his head and shut his eyes, willing this to be over. 

“Just tell him what he wants to know and he’ll let the two of you go,” 

Tendou’s head snapped up to find Iwaizumi only a few feet from him. 

“He only wants the information,” He said, voice solemn. 

Tendou turned back to Goshiki, who’s ripped shirt was soaked with blood, both his shoulders dribbling blood around the two knives embedded in them. Oikawa’s back was to them while he picked through more knives and things on the table. 

He turned around from the table to face Goshiki who had screamed himself hoarse and was now just sniffling. As Oikawa turned from the table, Tendou noticed a pair of cutting pliers in one hand, a large sharp knife in the other. 

“And here I thought you cared about kids. Guess you really are just a monster,” Oikawa said, grabbing hold of one of Goshiki’s fingers and placing it between the cutters. 

“The location?” He asked, voice quiet. Goshiki began sobbing, a mantra of “please’s” and “no’s” making their way through the hiccups. 

Tendou shook his head, a tear running down his cheek. 

Oikawa shrugged, gripping hard on the cutters which snipped Goshiki’s finger off like a rose stem. 

Goshiki found his voice again to scream, blood spurting from where the appendage had been. 

“Tendou-senpai” He cried. 

Tendou grit his teeth, trying to stay strong. 

By the fifth finger he was starting to crack. 

“Honestly, what kind of monster let’s his underling suffer like this.” Oikawa said with a huff. “Maybe you really don’t care about kids,” 

They’d gagged Goshiki, who seemed to scream himself dry every time a finger was cut off, only to find it again the moment he lost another. 

“You’re a bastard,” Tendou muttered. He’d never be able to forget Goshiki’s screams that had echoed around the small concrete room. They’d haunt him for the rest of his life. 

Oikawa pinched Goshiki’s cheeks and turned him to face Tendou. He’d lost a lot of blood, the dizziness finally putting a damper on his vocal range. He was starting to be unresponsive. 

“Last chance _Tendou-senpai_ ,” With the large knife that was in his other hand, he poked Goshiki’s chest. “The next one’s really gonna sting.” 

Tendou looked at the ground, his hands curling into fists. 

_He’s going to die._

_But I can’t betray Ushijima._

Tears slipped down Tendou’s cheeks to the dirty floor beneath him. It wasn’t fair. His gaze wandered to the far corner where Iwaizumi had taken up residence, arms folded as he watched everything. 

“Oh well,” Oikawa said, drawing Tendou’s attention back to him. His shoulder flexed, and he planted his back foot to get proper leverage to drive the knife through Goshiki’s chest. The knife slid between his ribs and through his chest, straight through his heart. The boy didn’t make a sound besides a choked noise, and the gurgles of blood as it bubbled out of his mouth. 

“NO!” Tendou screamed, yanking hard against the chains, trying to crawl to Goshiki’s body. Goshiki looked at him, eyes glazed over. He tried to say something, but all he could do was cough and gurgle more blood out of his mouth around the gag. 

“Tsutomu!” Tears poured down Tendou’s face, watching as the gurgling stopped and the boy stilled. 

Oikawa pulled the knife from the dead boy’s chest, a spray of blood covering him as he did. He let it clatter to the ground by his feet, then walked over to Tendou, still staying outside of his reach. 

“You’ll die tomorrow if you don’t tell us what we want to know. And then I’ll mail you in pieces back to your boss. You better have an answer for me then.” 

Tendou didn’t even look at him, his head hanging heavy as tears poured down his cheeks. 

He half expected Oikawa to kick him again, but instead he heard the footsteps of him and Iwaizumi walking out of the room. Tendou finally turned to look at Goshiki. 

“I’m so sorry,” He sobbed, burying his head in his hands. 

He cried into the night over the loss of his friend 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, all hail my beta, the goddess of grammar who keeps my ridiculously fast paced typing in check.   
> This chapter is fun spicy so hope everyone enjoys that instead of the sad parts I've been putting out!

Tendou’s back hit the mat with a thud, effectively knocking the breath out of him. Ushijima was straddling him, pinning him to the floor. They were both covered in sweat from training the last few hours. 

“Jeez Waka-kun, I can never seem to pin you,” Tendou whined. 

“Your form isn’t bad, Tendou, you are just at a physical disadvantage.” Ushijima stated bluntly. 

And wasn’t that the truth. Tendou looked up at the impressive body that had him pinned. Since the night Tendou had met Ushijima five years ago, they both had continued to grow, towering over almost everyone else. Unfortunately for Tendou, Ushijima had also grown broader, muscular shoulders and arms, his chest defined as well. Tendou, although also very in shape from their workouts, was mostly lean, wiry muscle. Which was fine in most instances…except when he was sparring with Ushijima. He hadn’t won a match against him in the last year. 

_The view isn’t too bad down here, though._

Tendou felt a blush creep onto his face. 

“Wow, Wakatoshi, that’s quite the compliment coming from you,” He said with a chuckle. 

Ushijima looked down at him, gaze unreadable. 

“You look red, Tendou. I think you need to hydrate,” He said, getting up from the pinning position, extending a hand for Tendou to take. 

Tendou’s face burned even more as he grabbed Ushijima’s hand and let him haul him to his feet. He let out another nervous chuckle, hoping Ushijima wouldn’t notice. 

“Heh, yeah, guess I should drink more water,” He said, walking over to where their bags were. 

He plopped down and dug around in his bag, searching for his water bottle. As he rummaged, he remembered that he had set it out to take with him this morning…but had forgotten to grab it. He could picture it, clear as day, sitting on his desk. He groaned, falling onto his back, feeling like an idiot. Suddenly a water bottle floated into his vision, and he realized Ushijima was handing him his to share. 

Tendou grinned. 

“Thanks, Waka-kun. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Taking the water bottle from him before taking a swig. 

“You should really try not to forget yours. It is important to stay hydrated.” Ushijma said, taking it back and drinking from it. 

“Yeah, yeah” Tendou said, feeling his chest do something funny at the idea of Ushijima worrying about him. 

Ushijima passed the bottle back to Tendou, who took another drink. 

“We’re sharing a water bottle, Wakatoshi. It’s practically like we’re kissing,” He teased. 

It was silent for a moment, and Tendou turned to see Ushijima with his mouth pressed in a firm line, staring at the ground in front of him. At first he thought he had made a mistake, and Ushijima was offended by his joke. But as he was about to offer an apology, he noticed something else. 

_Is he blushing?_

_Why would he be blushing?_

_Maybe he’s embarrassed by the idea of kissing in general. I’ve never seen him with girls, maybe he’s still a virgin after all this time._

It wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world. Ushijima was a one-track mind kind of guy, and with his sole focus on being ready to take over for his father, it would make sense he’d never pursue anything romantic with anyone. 

Tendou had had a couple casual flings here and there, all of them tall guys with brown hair who bore resemblance to the boy sitting next to him right now. But nothing had ever stuck because he knew his heart had belonged to Ushijima. He had long ago resolved that Ushijima Wakatoshi owned his whole heart, and he would be whatever Ushijima needed of him. And that meant being his friend. _And nothing else._

“Don’t look so tense, Waka-kun, I was only teasing,” He said as he patted Ushijima’s back reassuringly. 

At the contact, Ushijima jumped as if he had been lost in thought, then turned to look at Tendou, the blush even more prominent now. 

_He seems flustered…by me?_

Tendou narrowed his eyes, a sly grin breaking out on his face. He let his tongue stick out and slide across his bottom lip. He watched Ushijima’s eyes dart down to his lips them back up again, the flush touching his ears. 

_No way._

“Wakatoshi,” Tendou said, voice low. “Have you ever been kissed before?”

Ushijima nodded. 

Tendou’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but he quickly recovered. 

“Am I making you uncomfortable, then?” He asked, hesitant that he may be reading the situation wrong. 

Ushijima shook his head. “I always feel comfortable with you.” He stated. 

Tendou’s heart did a small flip.

“Then why do you seem so flustered, Waka-kun?” He purred Ushijima’s name. 

“Because when you made that comment, I couldn’t help picturing what it would be like to kiss you.” He said, his voice sounding even, but Tendou could tell he was getting even more flustered. 

“Would you like to find out?” He asked quietly, almost like if he was too loud he’d scare Ushijima off. 

Ushijima nodded. 

Tendou grinned, moving his hand from Ushijima’s back to his neck before leaning in. Ushijima had said he’d kissed other people before, but Tendou didn’t want to overwhelm him right off the bat. He pressed their lips together for a heartbeat before he moved to pull back, but Ushijima seemed to have other plans.

Ushijima’s hand came up to cup his face, tilting it so he could deepen the kiss instead. He swept his tongue against Tendou’s bottom lip as if asking for permission. Tendou opened his mouth and the kiss quickly turned wetter and hotter. Ushijima’s hand moved from Tendou’s face to where both hands gripped his hips and pulled Tendou into his lap. He moved him like he weighed nothing, and Tendou had to fight to keep himself from moaning. Tendou felt heat coil in his stomach at the idea of Ushijima manhandling him. 

With Tendou now sitting in his lap, Ushijima’s hands still rested on Tendou’s hips, his thumbs brushing under Tendou’s shirt just above his shorts ever so lightly. Tendou’s skin felt like it was on fire and they hadn’t even done anything besides make out. He licked against Ushijima’s lip again, nipping at it, and dragged his teeth against it before letting it go. 

The moan Ushijima let go was the most sinful noise he’d ever heard. 

He broke the kiss at that moment, both of them panting. Tendou looked down at Ushijima. His lips were shiny with spit, pupils blown wide, a beautiful flush had settled across his cheeks. He wasn’t sure he looked much better, his hair falling into his face, his lips feeling tender from the kisses. They were both sporting tents in their shorts, and Tendou realized they were still in the gym. Anyone could walk in on them here. 

“We should probably head back to our rooms…to shower,” He said. 

Ushijima nodded.

Tendou crawled out of his lap. He stood up, then held a hand out for Ushijima to pull him to his feet. Once they had both grabbed their bags and thrown some sweats on over their shorts to cover themselves while they settled down, they made their way back to their room. 

On the walk there, Tendou felt himself leaning closer to Ushijima, their shoulders practically touching. When their hands bumped, Tendou’s heart almost leapt into his throat as Ushijima took his hand, weaving their fingers together.

“Is this okay?” He asked. 

“More than okay,” Tendou responded, grinning at his best friend. 

Ushijima gave him that small gentle smile that had been a rarer occurrence as they had gotten older. It almost seemed like Tendou was the only one who got to see it, and the thought made him feel warm. 

When they got back, Tendou dropped his bag on the floor of Ushijima’s room. He turned to face Ushijima who set his bag down as well. 

“Would you like to shower with me, Wakatoshi-kun?” Tendou asked, stepping into Ushijima’s space. “You can say no, there’s zero pressure. I’m not sure how much experience you have and I don’t want to rush you or anything- “

Ushijima cut him off with a kiss. 

“I am experienced enough with things of this nature.” Ushijima said when they broke apart. “And I have wanted this for a very long time.” 

The words echoed in Tendou’s head multiple times before they finally sank in. 

_I have wanted this for a very long time._

Tendou felt dizzy he was so love drunk right now. To have Ushijima Wakatoshi here, telling him he had wanted this, wanted him, absolutely blew his mind. 

“How long?” Tendou asked. “How long have you wanted me?” 

“I think I have always had these feelings towards you, since that first night I met you I knew I wanted to keep you safe. But I only just realized what I wanted to do with them in the last year or so,” Ushijima answered, blunt and honest as always. 

Tendou smiled at the boy in front of him. 

“A whole year, huh? What took you so long,” He teased. 

“I did not want to ruin our friendship, so I was hesitant to initiate.” Ushijima said, a blush on his cheeks. Tendou laughed, his hand coming up to cup Ushijima’s cheek.

“Well, you have me now,” Tendou said, pressing a quick kiss to Ushijima’s lips before turning towards the bathroom.

“Come on, let’s go shower and then I can have my way with you,” He winked at Ushijima over his shoulder as he disappeared through the door. Ushijima was frozen for a moment. It took the sounds of the shower turning on to snap Ushijima out of his daze, and when he walked into the bathroom, Tendou already had his shirt and sweats off. His shorts hung low on his narrow hips. 

He turned when Ushijima walked in, a smirk on his face as he shimmied out of his shorts and stepped into the shower. Ushijima was quick to remove his clothes and follow Tendou into the steaming shower. 

They had seen each other naked countless times before this, between training almost every day and sharing a bathroom, it was something that just happened. But this was different. Tendou was free to stare as Ushijima entered the shower with him, who immediately reached forward to pull Tendou into his space and began kissing him again. Wet and sloppy but it made Tendou dizzy as he wrapped his arms around Ushijima’s neck. They broke apart for air, and Tendou used it as an excuse to start washing them off.

It wasn’t an excuse to run his hands all over Ushijima, not one bit. 

He worked soap into his hands, then reached forward to spread the suds across Ushijima’s body. Over broad shoulders and down strong arms, before working down his chest. Tendou brushed his soapy fingers against Ushijima’s nipples, his cock visibly twitched at the touch. 

Tendou grinned, looked up to see Ushijima’s face looking flushed with his pupils blowing wide again. He continued to soap Ushijima’s chest, now giving his nipples quick pinches when he moved passed them. Ushijima moaned, head falling back against the tile. 

“So lewd, Wakatoshi-kun,” Tendou purred. “We’re just getting started.”

He spread more soap over Ushijima’s body, his fingers dragging against Ushijima’s abs until he final made his way down to Ushijima’s now quickly hardening cock. A couple of quick strokes had it filling out until it felt thick and full in Tendou’s hand. He twisted his wrist around the head, thumb slowly rubbing over the slit which caused Ushijima to moan. 

Tendou leaned forward and began kissing Ushijima’s neck just above where the soap bubbles started. He nipped and sucked his way up to Ushijima’s ear before he bit down gently on the lobe. 

“Why don’t we hurry up in here so we can get back to the bedroom?” Tendou whispered into his ear. 

He took a step back from Ushijima then, pulling his hands away and taking in the site of his handiwork. Ushijima’s cock was leaking precum, the flush stretching from his face down to his chest. But his gaze was sharp and hungry, like he wanted to eat Tendou alive. 

Tendou shivered under that gaze before he turned back around and began washing himself as quickly as possible. He suddenly felt Ushijima press up behind him, his cock sliding between Tendou’s cheeks as his hands settled on his waist. He nipped along Tendou’s neck, earning a breathy sigh from the redhead. 

“We’re never going to get clean at this point, Waka-kun,” He mumbled, leaning his neck to the side to give Ushijima more room. 

“Clean enough,” Ushijima mumbled against his neck. “I need you, Satori.” He licked the shell of Tendou’s ear. 

Tendou moaned, and his cock twitched at the sound of his given name coming out of Ushijima’s mouth in such a sinful way. 

_I wanna make him say it like that again._

“Okay, yeah,” He relented, making sure they were both rinsed off completely before turning the water off. They both quickly toweled off then found themselves crawling onto Tendou’s bed. 

Ushijima’s strong arms caged Tendou in, and his gaze was still sharp and hungry as he leaned in to kiss Tendou breathless again. Tendou wound his arms around Ushijima’s neck, pulling him closer, fingers finding purchase in that dark brown hair on the nape of his neck.

They were still completely nude from the shower, cocks hard between them. Tendou rolled his hips up and Ushijima groaned. Tendou swallowed the noise as the kiss turned sloppy and needy. Ushijima snaked a hand between them to repay Tendou for his ministrations earlier, pinching and rolling Tendou’s nipples between his fingers until they were pink and sensitive. He broke from the kiss to kiss down Tendou’s neck, biting and sucking as he went until he took one of Tendou’s nipples into his mouth, laving it with his tongue for a moment before grazing his teeth over it. 

Tendou’s back arched, his grip in Ushijima’s hair tightening as heat coiled in his stomach.

“Waka-kun, please,” He begged, his skin hot and on fire. 

Ushijima hummed, slowly making his way lower. Tendou watched him with hooded eyes, letting out a hiss when Ushijima grabbed the base of Tendou’s cock, giving it a few quick pumps. Tendou wasn’t sure he could get any harder, but then Ushijima swallowed him almost all the way to the base on the first go. 

“Oh my God,” Tendou wanted to throw an arm over his eyes, to lose himself in the wet heat that was enveloping him. But he kept his eyes on Ushijima, not wanting to miss a second. He felt Ushijima begin to start bobbing his head, tongue moving around the tip before he would make his way back down. 

“That mouth is absolutely sinful, Wakatoshi-kun,” He said, threading his hands into the brown strands and giving it a little tug. 

Ushijima moaned around his cock.

Tendou’s eyes widened, then narrowed as his lips curled in a smirk. 

“Is that it, Waka-kun? Do you like when I’m a little rougher with you?” Tendou said, keeping his grip and starting to move Ushijima’s head up and down a little faster. 

Ushijima moaned again and the vibrations made Tendou shudder. 

“Such a pretty mouth, love the way you feel on me,” He said as he started to increase the pace, driving his hips in time with how he pulled Ushijima’s head. Ushijima’s eyes rolled back and he let himself be used by Tendou, who was starting to get close. 

_Can’t have that._

He pulled Ushijima’s mouth off of himself with wet pop before dragging him up into a kiss that was all tongue and teeth. When he pulled away, Ushijima’s face looked debauched. Tendou reached up and ran a thumb over Ushijima’s spit covered bottom lip.

“I wasn’t too rough was I?” He asked. 

Ushijima shook his head. 

“Good.” Tendou grinned before leaning forward and kissing him. 

“Where do you keep your lube and condoms?” Ushijima asked, breaths coming out in pants. 

“Nightstand. Second drawer.” Tendou said, nipping along Ushijima’s jaw until he pulled away to lean off the bed to reach into the drawer to grab everything. 

When he returned, he popped the cap open, working the lube between his fingers before he took in the sight of Tendou. His face was flushed all the way to his chest, nipples hard and pink, and his cock was still leaking precum on his stomach.

“You’re beautiful, Satori,” 

Tendou’s eyes widened as his face turned a dark shade of scarlet. He groaned and covered his face with his hands. 

“Waka-kun! You can’t just say things like that!” He mumbled through his fingers. 

Ushijima leaned forward, tracing Tendou’s entrance with the first finger. 

“Why? It’s true. I’ve thought so since that first night when I saw you on the bridge,”

Tendou sucked in a quick breath, and not just because Ushijima had pressed in and had begun pumping his finger in and out. He moved his hands to look up at the boy who owned his heart, and saw, as always, only genuine feeling in those deep olive eyes. He gave him a small smile, before his mouth opened to let out a moan at Ushijima moving his finger. 

Ushijima’s finger was thick and rough and Tendou loved it. He felt sparks of pleasure working their way up his spine, and his back arched when Ushijima brushed against his prostate. When Ushijima started adding another finger, Tendou pushed his hips down to meet it. There was a bit of a sting, but who didn’t like a little pain mixed with their pleasure? Besides, Tendou felt like his body was on fire, and he needed more. Ushijima bent down and began kissing Tendou’s neck, his fingers beginning to scissor and pump. 

“’Toshi, please,” Tendou begged, needing him to go faster. 

“Almost,” Ushijima said. 

Tendou decided that he didn’t like that answer because he hooked a leg around Ushijima’s waist, flipping them over until he was straddling him. 

“Would you look at that, first time I’ve had you pinned in months,” A cheeky grin on his face. 

But before Ushijima could say anything, Tendou leaned down to kiss him. Using it as a distraction, he reached for the condom beside them, then rolled it onto   
Ushijima. He moved up just a bit, lining up Ushijima’s cock with his waiting hole before he slowly began to sink onto it. 

They both moaned with they were finally pressed flush together. 

“’Toshi, god, it feels like you’re splitting me open,” Tendou groaned, his hands pressing onto Ushijima’s chest. 

“Do you want us to stop?” Ushijima paused, concern for Tendou evident on his face. 

Tendou chuckled, moving one of his hands to cup Ushijima’s face. 

“Absolutely not, I want to wreck myself on this thick cock of yours,” He said, grin sharp.

He started a fast rhythm, raising himself until just the head was still inside him before slamming himself down. Ushijima grunted every time he impaled himself, hands finding purchase on Tendou’s slim waist. He gripped his hips, fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises and Tendou loved it. 

“Fuck, ‘Toshi,” Tendou whined, thighs already burning. He needed more. 

Ushijima’s eyes darkened, and he planted his heels into the mattress before he started snapping his hips up. Tendou practically screamed, the new angle allowing Ushijima to nail his prostate with every stroke. Neither of them would last much longer like this, not with how worked up they had been before. 

“’Toshi, fuck, don’t stop,” Tendou panted, each word coming out breathless as Ushijima continued to pound into him. 

“Harder, ‘Toshi, please, fuck, I’m so close,” Tendou practically sobbed. 

Ushijima gripped Tendou’s thighs before flipping them back over, throwing one of Tendou’s legs over his shoulder before starting to thrust his hips again. This new angle had Ushijima hitting much deeper within Tendou, and he felt his orgasm racing towards him. Tendou continued to babble a string of pleases and curses, all while saying Ushijima’s given name like a prayer. 

Finally, sensing he was almost at the end too, Ushijima reached down to give Tendou’s neglected cock a few pumps that finally sent him over the edge. 

“Wakatoshi!” Tendou cried, his orgasm crashing into him and whiting out his vision. His body clamping down around Ushijima like a vice as he came, which in turn sent Ushijima over the edge as well. 

Ushijima rode out the aftershocks of his orgasm, thrusting slowly into Tendou a few more times before he finally stilled. The only sound in the room now was the sound of their labored breathing as they came down from their highs. Looking down at Tendou, Ushijima gently brushed some of his red hair from his forehead, the rest of which gathered around his head like a ruby halo. He gently pulled out of Tendou, heading to the bathroom to remove the condom and get a damp cloth to clean up with. 

When he returned, he wiped Tendou down, then disposed of the damp towel in a nearby hamper before crawling into bed with him.

Tendou immediately turned to nuzzle into Ushijima’s chest, long arms wrapping around his broad chest. Ushijima buried his face in Tendou’s hair, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

“I love you, Satori,” He said quietly.

Tendou pressed a quick kiss to Ushijima’s throat. “I love you too, Waka-kun.” He leaned back a bit to look at Ushijima. 

“You really are the best thing that happened to me,” Tendou said, a small happy smile on his face. 

“I feel the same. I am happy I found you that night all those years ago.” Ushijima reached down to brush more hair out of Tendou’s face before kissing his forehead. 

Tendou was quiet for a moment, reflecting on that night in particular. 

“I was planning on jumping that night,” Tendou said softly. “If you hadn’t come along I wouldn’t be here.” 

Ushijima’s arms tightened around Tendou.

“I know.” His voice sounding sad. “I hadn’t realized it that night, but I had realized when we were older what was going on. All I can say is I’m happy I had that argument with my father that night. It changed the course of both our lives.” He gently cupped Tendou’s face, thumb running over his cheek. The look of pure adoration and love Tendou saw reflected in those olive eyes was enough to make his heart burst.

_I’ll always protect you._

Those words from all those years ago rang out in Tendou’s head. He’d never forgotten them, and Ushijima had never let him down. He’d not only offered protection to Tendou and made him feel safe, like the terrible monsters of his past could never reach him, but he had given him something even more valuable. The chance to learn how to protect himself and the power to feel like he could take back control of his life. 

“I would do anything for you Waka-kun. When you take over for your father, I want you to know I’ll always be at your side. Always.” His voice hard with resolve. 

“Always,” Ushijima agreed. 

Tendou nodded, burying his head back into the crook of Ushijima’s neck. Ushijima reached up and ran his fingers through Tendou’s hair gently, lulling him to sleep. 

They fell asleep like that, tangled in each other’s arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN-DUN! The conclusion~~~~~  
> Thanks everyone who's been along for the ride I appreciate y'all so much.  
> I have made the appropriate sacrifices to honor my beta so hopefully she will be appeased  
> (But feel free to tell her in the comments you appreciate her hard work, she loves that shit lol)  
> As always if you'd be so kind to spare some serotonin, I ALSO am both physically and spiritually fueled by kudos/comments so I'd love those

Tendou had passed out late into the night after the exhaustion of crying finally took him over. He was awoken by the door to his cell opening. He was still curled in on himself, body aching and heavy with the emotional and physical stress of the last few days. When he looked over, he saw Goshiki’s body was still chained up and he fought a fresh wave of tears. 

“Time to wake up! Did you sleep well, Monster?” He heard Oikawa’s voice. 

He rolled to see both Iwaizumi and Oikawa in his cell. Iwaizumi didn’t even move from where he leaned against the doorframe, and a glint of the light off metal alerted Tendou to the pistil in Oikawa’s hand. 

_Fuck, I’m really going to die here._

He sat on his knees, squaring his shoulders and leveling Oikawa with a murderous glare. Oikawa responded by leveling the pistol at his forehead. 

“Are you going to answer my questions, or should I save us both the trouble?” 

“Get fucked,” 

Oikawa cocked the gun. 

“Last chance you bug-eyed psychopath,”

Tendou opened his mouth, and took a breath as if he were going to speak. 

He didn’t speak. 

The spit barely made it to the bottom of Oikawa’s shirt, but the message was clear. 

“You absolute piece of shit,” Oikawa growled. 

Tendou laughed, high-pitched and crazed. 

_It’s always been borrowed time anyway._

_And it’s been the best time of my life._

Tendou closed his eyes, a grin still plastered on his face as he pictured Ushijima for the last time. 

_I hope you know how much I love you._

A gunshot echoed throughout the cell. 

Tendou braced for the pain, but it never came. A thud caused him to snap open his eyes, a snarky remark about Oikawa’s aim on the tip of his tongue, but the words died on his lips. Oikawa’s body lay in front of him, a crumpled heap, blood oozing from a bullet hole in the side of his head. 

Tendou’s eyes had a split second to notice Iwaizumi’s body was also crumpled by the door, a knife sticking out of his neck, before his eyes settled on the only standing figure in the room. He was slightly out of breath, like he had run the whole way here, but the gun in his hand didn’t even waver. While his lips may be set in a hard line that to anyone else would look angry, Tendou had no problem reading the concern and worry in those beautiful green eyes. Tendou’s bottom lip wobbled before he felt tears run down his face.

“TOSHIIIII,” He sobbed, screams echoing off the walls. 

Ushijima crossed the room in four long strides, immediately wrapping his arms around Tendou. Tendou threw his arms around him, scrambling for purchase on his boyfriend’s jacket, scared that if he let go for even a second he’d slip through his fingers. He continued to cry into Ushijima’s embrace, sobs shaking his entire body. The adrenaline of being near death was sending him into overdrive and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

“Are you really here?” He cried, breathing in the scent of Ushijima as he tried harder to bury himself in his embrace. “Am I dead?”

“Satori, I’m here.” Ushijima whispered into his hair, grip tightening. 

“Thought I’d never see you again.” Tendou hiccupped, tears and snot staining Ushijima’s jacket. 

“I was worried I wouldn’t get here in time,” Ushijima confessed, rubbing his hands up and down Tendou’s back. 

“T-t-they killed Goshiki, Waka,” Tendou started sobbing harder. “They wanted to know where you were, but I couldn’t tell them, not even for Goshiki,” 

Ushijima pulled away just enough to cup Tendou’s face with both his hands, brushing tears away with his thumbs. He then looked passed Tendou to Goshiki’s body, feeling an incredible sadness in his chest at the loss of the young member that him and Tendou had both doted on. But then his focus came back to Tendou, his olive gaze finding molten ruby and he knew what his priorities were. 

“I know. But Satori,” He pulled away to study his face. “Right now we have to go. Can you move?”

Tendou looked down at himself, bandaged for the moment but also still chained to the wall. He still had a few ribs broken and the stab wounds would make any kind of movement extremely painful. 

“I can try. I might need help though. I think the keys are in Iwaizumi’s pocket,” He said, trying to take a few calming breaths to get himself under control. 

Ushijima moved back to Iwaizumi’s body, riffling through the pockets until he turned up with the keys. He came back over and unlocked the cuffs around Tendou’s ankles, rubbing them gently along the lacerations they’d left behind. 

“Come on, we have to move.” Ushijima said, helping Tendou to his feet. 

Tendou gasped and almost collapsed under his own weight, leaning heavily on Ushijima until they realized it’d just be easier to throw Tendou’s arm over Ushijima’s shoulder and support him that way. Practically dragging him, Ushijima moved them out of the cell. As they made their way into the hall, Tendou noticed other members of the Ushijima gang were standing in the hallway among the bodies of dead Oikawa members. 

Semi Eita, one of the more senior members, whistled when he saw Satori. 

“You’re looking rough,” He said. Although his tone was snarky and rude, Tendou knew better. The concern was obvious in his eyes. 

“You should see the other guy,” Tendou chuckled. 

Semi scoffed. “Glad to see you’re okay, though.” He admitted.

The other members nodded. Tendou looked at all of the members who’d been in the group and been loyal to Ushijima for years. By extension, they were loyal to him too. Seeing them here risking their lives for him, made Tendou grin. 

“As touching as a reunion as this is guys, I need medical attention like, yesterday.” He teased, gesturing down at the awful state his body was in. 

“Right,” 

Tendou realized somewhere between the start of the hall and the end of the hall that his vision was blacking out. Between the blood loss, lack of food over the last few days, and the physical and emotional exhaustion, he shouldn’t have been surprised. 

“’Toshi…” He mumbled. 

He felt them stop as he started to sway, then suddenly he was horizontal. He half expected to be on the floor except when he looked up and saw Ushijima’s face, he realized that he’d been picked up. 

“Hang on, Satori,” He said, his voice strained with panic. 

Tendou hummed before his vision blacked out completely. 

\----- 

Tendou woke up in a bed. 

He snapped into a sitting position, or as much of one as he could manage before pain shot through his chest and back and he was forced back down with a grimace. Groaning from the pain he turned and looked up at the ceiling. 

_Our ceiling._

He turned his head to the side to see the large room that Ushijima and he shared. They’d taken up permanent residence in an apartment near the base with higher security for protection. 

Tendou spread his arms out in the bed, just enamored with being back home and in his own bed. As his fingers fanned out, they brushed against something warm. 

His head snapped to the other side found his fingers brushing the forearm of a sleeping Ushijima, hid head buried in his arms. Tendou now realized he was in the middle of the bed, and Ushijima was sitting in a chair next to it. 

He reached out and gingerly pushed Ushijima’s hair out of his face, admiring the sleeping face of his boyfriend. The mafia boss was always so much more innocent looking when he slept, the same innocence he gave off when he would give Tendou once of those precious little smiles of his. 

_Cute._

Tendou continued to play with his hair, just taking in the moment. He was alive and safe, which was more than he could ask for. 

_Guess I get to borrow a little more time._

The thought made him chuckle a little, which seemed to be just enough noise to finally rouse Ushijima from his slumber. At first he groggily looked around, eyes settling on Tendou, giving him that sweet smile. 

Then he seemed to really wake up and he was suddenly standing over the bed, lips crushing Tendou’s in a bruising kiss. Tendou hummed into the kiss for a moment before wetness tickled his cheeks. He pulled away enough before he realized Ushijima had tears slipping down his cheeks. 

_Oh shit._

In all the years Tendou had known Ushijima, he’d never seen him cry. Not when they’d buried countless friends, not when he’d been injured, not even when his mother had passed a few years ago. But here he was, hands gently running all over Tendou’s body like he needed to make sure he was really there, tears freely flowing from his eyes. 

Tendou reached up, trying to wipe some of the tears away. 

“I thought you were going to die,” Ushijima said, voice gruff but wet sounding. 

“I’m right here, Toshi,” Tendou said, trying to soothe him. 

“The doctor said you’d lost so much blood, plus you had two broken ribs, and there was an infection…Satori, you’ve been asleep for five days.” His voice breaking and a fresh wave of tears fell onto Tendou’s face. 

His eyes widened. He hadn’t realized it had been that bad, but he wasn’t that surprised the more he thought about it. Rolling around on a dirty cell floor couldn’t be very sanitary, after all. 

“No wonder I feel so refreshed.” He joked quietly, a small smile on his face. Ushijima did not find it funny, “Hey, I’m here now, and I’m okay.” 

“I couldn’t protect you,” He said miserably, eyes shutting as he gently set his forehead against Tendou’s shoulder.

Tendou scoffed. “Ushijima Wakatoshi, you saved me. Again.” Tendou forced Ushijima to look at him. “I wouldn’t be here without you.” He pressed, voice leaving no room for argument. Ushijima looked at him for a long moment before nodding, seeming to accept that answer, before wiping the rest of his tears away. 

“But let’s try not to make a habit of it.” Tendou joked again before pulling Ushijima into a quick kiss.

“I was so worried.” Ushijima said, setting his forehead back to Tendou’s shoulder.

“I know,” Tendou said as he stroked Ushijima’s hair, soft between his fingers. “I was too for a minute there.” 

It was silent for a moment. 

“Thank you, though, for coming for me.” Tendou said quietly. 

Ushijima lifted his head. 

“Of course. I would do anything for you.” He said, the declaration making Tendou’s heart flip. He smiled softly. 

“I know. The same goes for me.” He shifted a little over in the bed to make room for Ushijima. 

“Come here and lay with me. I’m not tired but I just want to be near you.” 

Very carefully, Ushijima slid in next to Tendou on the bed. Tendou had to stay on his back but having Ushijima this close to him while they held hands made him feel content. 

“I love you, Waka-kun,” He said.

“I love you, too.” Ushijima said, both of them just enjoying being back together, safe and sound.


End file.
